Freed by Carly Phillips

Published: July 24, 2018

This is the next book in Carly Phillips’ Rosewood Bay series. It follows the story of Juliette Collins as she discovers that her father has been lying to her for her entire life. She has sisters in the world that she desperately wants to know and he keeps standing in the way of that. This novel is quick and delightful in all the right places.

All Juliette knows about her mother is that she died when she was a child and her father was so devastated that he devoted all of his time to raising her. At least that’s what she was told her entire life. Reality is a lot different and messier than the lies her father has told her. She didn’t realize until she discovered the truth about her past just how much he had controlled and manipulated her. She doesn’t even think she knows who he is anymore. So she does the only thing she can do. She goes to Rosewood Bay in search of the family she never knew she had but had always secretly hoped for. She doesn’t know what to expect in the quiet coastal town but a hot guy who is interested in her right off the bat is not it. She doesn’t know why he is interested but she doesn’t have any friends in the town and she wants him. Only it would help if he would stop being so hot and cold on her.

Braden Clark is a private investigator who is hired by Juliette’s father to keep an eye on her during her summer away. He thinks watching a spoiled princess will be an easy job and easy money. Little does he expect how unspoiled Juliette really is. She has simple wants for her life and living her own life outside of her father’s shadow is one of them. He can support that but he can’t get involved with her. Her father’s money will help him deal with his father’s Alzheimers. But when he gets too close to her he needs to make a decision. Cut off all contact with her or come clean.

This novel really has it all. It is a small town romance with a girl who is supposed to be the big city princess but who isn’t what everyone expects. The reader could feel the sexual tension between Braden and Juliette and my heart broke a little every time Braden was an ass. With this novel we have come to a close with the Ward sisters but this is not it for the Rosewood Bay series. We get to read Andrea Harmon’s story in a few months and I know it will be just as heart wrenching as the others have been.

—“How about we introduce ourselves, considering you had your hand on my—” -Braden—